Friday, April 19, 2013

It's Friday and you know what that means here at Taboo. It's time to talk about some of our forbidden and freaky fetishes. This week I'm excited to have back my friend and fellow author Kendall McKenna. She's shared many a story about hot Marines in love and this week she doesn't disappoint. So Tony, pass me that pitcher of Margaritas while I sit back with the rest of you and let Kendall have the stage!

Hey, there, and welcome to Freaky Fetish Friday! My name is Kendall McKenna and I write M/M Erotic Romance. I’m going to be talking about men, here, because that’s my fetish. When Lia Michaels first announced this new theme day, I immediately knew I had a topic. My tag line is “Love and Dog Tags”, so obviously, I’m going to discuss the fetishization of dog tags. My specialty is in writing stories about U.S. Marines, including authentic language and jargon, and realistic action sequences. This means my characters wear dog tags, all the time! Of course I’ve gotten creative with them.

First, a little history. Dog tags is the slang term for military ID tags worn by U.S. service personnel. Where the nickname came from, is obvious. Dog tags are embossed metal, secured on stainless steel ball-chain. One tag hangs on a long chain (24” – 30”), a second is secured to the first chain with a second, shorter one (4” – 6”). Currently, service personnel are permitted to wear the second tag secured in a boot, as opposed to also wearing it around the neck. The purpose of two tags was so that, if someone was killed in combat and the body had to be left behind, one tag was left on the body, the other was carried off the field of battle so that it could be used for identification and for notification. In modern warfare, this is slightly less significant, as bodies are required to be left behind less often. Much of this has to do with modern battlefield medicine. More lives are saved in the field than ever before (while there are significantly more amputated limbs than ever before). The reason for the notch in the WWII version of the tags was so that they could be secured in the machinery for debossing. It was NOT so that the tag could be secured in the teeth. That’s an urban legend. Black rubber silencers were first allowed on the tags during Vietnam, so that the clinking metal didn’t announce the presence of the troops moving through the jungle. By now you’re wondering what the hell is erotic and fetish-worthy about dog tags? That’s some unpleasant stuff to think about. True. But that’s what makes the fetishization of them so much more interesting. Fetishes have an emotional component, as well as a conditioned sexual response. Military family and loved ones have been known to appropriate or obtain a spare set of tags, to wear while their warrior is on deployment. It’s a way to honor them, and to keep them close while they’re away. Tags are passed down to family members if a warrior is lost in battle. It honors the sacrifice and keeps the memory alive. Dog tags are a part of make-shift battlefield memorials. They are hung from the trigger guard of the fallen warrior’s M16, the boots laid at the stock, the Kevlar helmet balanced on the bayonet. Dog tags are uniquely military, and they represent so much more than just the identity of the person who wears them.

"Free of his clothing, Sean planted his feet flat on the ottoman and let his thighs fall open enticingly. Corey smiled at him, fully aware of what Sean was doing. He knelt on the floor, reaching between Sean’s legs and gripping his waist firmly. Sean wrapped his hands around Corey’s wrists.

When he leaned over to lick at each of Sean’s hip bones, Corey’s tags fell between Sean’s thighs and lay against his semi-hard cock. Corey gripped them and flicked them over his shoulder so they rested against his own back. ‘That’s okay, but don’t you fucking dare take those things off,’ Sean gasped fiercely, his hips pushing upward into Corey.

Corey looked up at Sean in surprise. He was used to being asked to remove them because they were always in the way. Sean’s adamant demand that Corey leave his tags on made his chest tighten. He’d thought he’d never find such easy acceptance from anyone except another Marine.”

--The Final Line: The Recon Diaries, Book 3

Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Dog tags are fucking sexy!Okay, I’m going to be generalizing here, just to have some fun with this post. There’ll be exceptions to each example, but you don’t want to be reading this all day!Military guys are hot! They tend to be youthful, especially the enlisted guys on the front lines. The nature of the job requires them to have a fairly high level of fitness. They’re strong and competent, trained to do things must of us aren’t. Military guys run toward the sound of gunfire, they run toward the danger. And uniforms are sexy! They’re a fetish all their own! Uniforms make the well-built, highly trained heroes even sexier. We’ve all seen pictures of the hard-bodied men, shirtless, wearing only their camouflage pants and boots – and their dog tags.

Dog tags are a symbol of strength, competence and sacrifice. They’re a link to warriors who go off to combat. They’re an erotic ornament, nestled between strong pectoral muscles, lying against tanned, sweaty skin. They’re decorative, without being flimsy. Dog tags are inextricably linked to all things military, so if your crank is turned by military characters to begin with, the tags become a singular point of focus. “Sean slid his hands up Corey’s back, then back down to his sides. Corey found a rhythm, rising and falling on Sean’s dick. He rose up and the head of Sean’s cock stretched the rim of his opening. When Corey sank down and took Sean deep, fissions ran the length of his spine. Shudders wracked Corey’s body and he moaned loudly each time his ass met Sean’s thighs. Sean’s fingers fluttered at the back of Corey’s neck. The chain of his dog tags pulled snug against his throat, the tags themselves clinked against Corey’s back. ‘That’s it, make yourself feel good,’ Sean murmured. His hand moved at the base of Corey’s neck. ‘Use me to make yourself feel good.’ Corey realized Sean was gripping his dog tags, his hand wrapped up in the chain. Corey leaned back slightly, when Sean used his tags to tug him backward. When Sean’s other hand ran up the length of Corey’s back, Corey arched into his touch. Fuck, this was nice. Sean’s touch on his skin made Corey feel cared for.”

--The Final Line: The Recon Diaries, Book 3

And…dog tags are kept on a chain. A chain that can be used to bind, or to restrain, or to mark. If you’re careful, they can be used in breath-play. From the standpoint of erotic romance, dog tags are a great tool to add variety and creativity to love scenes. They can be used to demonstrate the unconditional love and acceptance of the warrior, by his lover. “Jonah wrapped a hand around the chain of his dog tags and gave a slight tug. ‘Let go,’ he ordered. Reluctantly, Kellan let the tags slide from between his lips. He watched Jonah pull the chain up over his head. He sat back on his heels and reached for Kellan’s cock. Kellan clutched at the bedclothes when he felt both of Jonah’s hands on his cock and balls. He looked down in desperation, only to see Jonah slipping the chain of his tags around Kellan’s cock like a noose. ‘Oh fuck,’ Kellan moaned. He watched as Jonah slipped the chain lower until it circled Kellan’s balls as well. Jonah tugged on the chain and the loop slid closed with the sound of singing metal. The tags themselves hung pressed to the side of Kellan’s cock, the chain working like a cockring. Jonah wrapped the rest of the chain around Kellan and he felt that much more constricted. His cock throbbed, his balls ached and the head of his dick was a deep shade of purple. He watched Jonah flip the end of the chain in place, locking the entire improvised rig in place. Fuck Jonah and his motherfucking creativity and his goddamn ability to fucking make do. Kellan needed to fucking come. Jonah started to move again and Kellan threw his head back when he felt Jonah’s cock slide in and out again. ‘Fucking bastard,’ he hissed in frustration.”

--Missing Scene: Brothers In Arms: The Recon Diaries, Book 1

My latest release, Fire For Effect, is Book #2 of The Recon Diaries. It’s being very, very well reviewed, it’s currently on Amazon’s Top 100, as well as in ARe’s top 5 mystery/thriller. Blurb:Hired to investigate the denial of a Marine the Medal of Honor, Kellan Reynolds and Jonah Carver try to untangle a web of lies, deceit, and heroism.Two years after the events of Brothers In Arms, Kellan Reynolds and First Sergeant Jonah Carver are struggling with their bi-coastal relationship. Following the events in Iraq, Kellan’s expertise in national security is well established and he is hired to investigate the suspicious repeated denial of a KIA Marine the Medal of Honor. Kellan brings Jonah onto his staff and into his home, but just as their relationship settles into a routine, their investigation heats up. What begins at the Pentagon, leads to Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan, and an ambush that threatens to destroy everything they’ve built.If you haven’t read Book #1 of The Recon Diaries, Brothers In Arms, you’ll want to start there, first. Blurb:Jonah Carver is a Marine and combat veteran. He and his former Captain, Kellan Reynolds, once shared a scorching night, but then lost touch; something Jonah has long regretted. When an investigation into government corruption, and the murder of U.S. troops, ends in the killing of a V.I.P. on Jonah’s watch, the FBI arrives. With them is Kellan Reynolds.When Kellan is kidnapped, Jonah has to find and rescue him. If he doesn’t, not only will the investigation unravel, but he’ll lose Kellan for a second time–for good.

Dog tags are so fetishized, that I have difficult time keeping in stock, the swag tags that I have made for my characters from Strength of the Pack. Lucas and Noah are both Marines, and Noah is a werewolf. This book is the first in the series, The Tameness of the Wolf. I had a small number of authentic tags made for Lucas and Noah as giveaways on release day. Now I can’t keep them on hand. They’re definitely a way in which the readers feel they can have a small piece of characters they have come to love. Blurb:Lieutenant Lucas Young doesn’t know much about shifters. When Sergeant Noah Hammond is assigned to Lucas’ platoon, the Marine Corps’ True Alpha werewolf challenges the Lieutenant’s authority and his self-control. As Lucas learns to dominate and command Noah, he struggles against a strong attraction and deepening emotional bond. During their combat deployment to Afghanistan, Lucas and Noah begin mirroring legendary partnerships. Their bond and their power grow as they survive dangerous combat and ambushes. When one of them is wounded in battle, they both must embrace the strength of their bond before they lose each other forever.You can find purchase information for all of my books here.

NOW FOR THE FREE STUFF!

Enter to win a copy of either of the Recon Diaries: Brothers In Arms OR Fire For Effect. Just let me know in a comment which of the two books you would like, if you’re the winner.

oooohhhhhh, look at you, with your erotic idea! The edge of the tags are rolled so they're smooth, but....if you blindfolded him, you could use the metal edge to flick, leave the silencer on one tag and drag it over ticklish spots, and then use the ball-chain to get a little scratchy!

While there are lots of quotes I like,incuding quite a few smexy ones, this one get a smile and a laugh from me every time.

Lucas locked down the sudden spike of lust that rocketed through him. “What’s the appropriate thing to say, right now?” he asked, hoping levity would dispel the sudden awkwardness. “Good luck? Stay safe? Play nice with the other wolves, and don’t pick up any strange fleas?”

Lucas shivered when Noah's dog tags tickled him as they slid across his heated skin. I love the imagery.. My favorite scene encompasses the first page to the last. I just love Lucas and Noah's story. It also the first ever book I did a review for..